The Hindu Business Line : Novel method on cards to treat tannery effluents

What's in store
Rs 40 crore to be spent on the water recovery and re-use project.
Initiative to help meet `zero discharge' status by mid-2007.
The method will help reduce demand for water for the units.

Chennai , Aug. 5

The leather industry in North Arcot district of Tamil Nadu is examining a novel method for treating tannery effluent through membrane bio-reactor technology.

According to industry representatives, though a proven technology, it is unprecedented on the scale that it is to be tried by the leather industry. Membrane Bioreactor System (MBR) is a technique for removing organic pollutants and suspended solids from tannery effluents using microbes.

Project cost

This will be part of the industry water recovery and re-use project being implemented at a cost of Rs 40 crore, according to Mr N. Abdur Rahman, Plant Manager, Vaniyambadi Tanners Enviro Control Systems Ltd, which operates the Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) at Vaniyambadi in Vellore District. This initiative is part of the effort to meet the regulatory conditions in Tamil Nadu that dictates the industry achieves `zero discharge' status by mid-2007.

Commercial Project

Initial data is being collected and two models of MBRs are to be tried. In 3-4 months they would decide on the exact process and a commercial project will be in operation by September 2007. This will be used for secondary treatment of the waste from tanneries and linked to a tertiary treatment system using Reverse Osmosis (RO) with a capacity of about 7,200 cubic metres a day. The RO plant would be ready by October 2007.

This would mean that the CETP would be able to recover at least 80-90 per cent of the water and send it back to the tanneries for reuse. A water supply pipeline is also a component of the project.

According to Mr Rahman, the Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company — a joint venture between IL&FS and the Tamil Nadu Government — is implementing the project.

Environment Friendly

Apart from meeting the statutory deadline, the added benefit is that the demand for water would be reduced in the Palar River basin, a chronically water-starved area. The entire process would be environment friendly.

He said Vaniyambadi Tanners Enviro Control System Ltd operated two CETPs that meet the requirements of over 119 tanneries. A third CETP was under construction to serve 17 more tanneries.

Mr P. Mohammed Yousuf, Managing Director, Vaniyambadi Tanners Enviro Control, said CETP operations cost Rs 18 a cubic metre of water and the tanners paid the cost. Once the RO system was in place, the treated water would be available at about Rs 60 a cubic metre.

Industry contribution

According to Mr Rafeeque Ahmed, Chairman, Council for Leather Exports, the industry had submitted a Rs 150 crore project for effluent treatment plants and water recycling facilities to upgrade the effluent treatment facilities available to the leather industry in Tamil Nadu.

The industry would contribute 25 per cent, the State Government 25 per cent and the balance would come from the Centre. The project is under the consideration of the Union Finance Ministry.